Henrike Grohs Art Award open for aspirants
Applications to the 4th Henrike Grohs Art Award are now open. The Henrike Grohs Art Award is a biennial pan-African art prize which is endowed with 20 000 Euro. Conceived by the Goethe-Institut and the Grohs family, the Henrike Grohs Art Award is in memory of the former Head of Goethe-Institut in Abidjan, Henrike Grohs. The Goethe-Institut Sub-Sahara Africa is thrilled to announce the launch of the open call for the 2024 edition of the prestigious Henrike Grohs Art Award. Created in honour of the late Henrike Grohs, a dedicated advocate for contemporary art in Africa, the award aims to support and recognise outstanding artistic practices that contribute to the cultural dialogue on the African continent and has since its inception in 2018 established itself as a prominent opportunity fostering distinguished contemporary arts practices. “We are excited to launch the open call for the 4th Henrike Grohs Art Award. This award is not only a celebration of the incredible talent within the African artistic community, but an acknowledgement of the often-challenging conditions professional artists on the continent have to work with,” says Dr Asma Diakité, Regional Head of Programmes at the Goethe-Institut Sub-Sahara Africa. “The previous editions of the award have showcased a diverse selection of some of the best talent on the continent and we can’t wait to see what the 4th iteration of the award will offer.” Visual artists living and working on the African continent, from all disciplines and backgrounds, are invited to submit their applications for consideration. The Henrike Grohs Art Award encourages artists who engage with a wide range of media, including but not limited to painting, sculpture, photography, video, installation, performance, and new media. The main prize is awarded by an international jury after a shortlist is compiled by a selection committee. The winning individual artist or collective will receive a cash prize of 20.000€ and 10.000€ towards the production of a publication on the winner’s work. Two artists or collectives will be selected as runners up and will be awarded a cash prize of 5.000€ each. “I am very grateful to have received the Henrike Grohs Art Award. The award has helped in the development of my artistic career and has been quite helpful towards the research processes underlying my artistic practice,” says Gladys Kalichini, winner of the 2022 Henrike Grohs Art Award. Previous winners are Gladys Kalichini (Zambia), Jackie Karuti (Kenya, winner 2020), and Cameroonian artist, Em’kal Eyongakpa as winner of the inaugural award in 2018. All applications must be submitted using the online application form found on the website. By submitting an application, the applicant accepts the conditions of the competition, available for download on the website. Submissions will close on Thursday 31 August 2023.